| Eric Giles of Skykits was at the U.S. Sport Aviation Expo with his Savannah and a brand new entry into the lightsport aircraft category the Rampage. Both planes had been flown down from Alberta Canada for the show, a distance of over 2500 miles. Both aircraft feature all laser cut, metal construction, side by side seating and tri-cycle landing gear. The Savannah is known for it's short take off and landing capabilities but has a cruise speed of only 85 to 95 mph. According to Eric the Rampage has been designed to give the best of both worlds, with a 125 mph cruising speed, yet still capable of getting in and out of short grass strips with a 35 mph stall speed.
This is accomplished by using the Savannah ADV tapered wing incorporating electrically operated slats and electrically operated double-slotted flaps with separate ailerons, which are extended for landing and retracted at cruise. The Rampage is manufactured in Italy but by late fall of 2008 it is expected that the planes final assembly will be done at a facility under construction in Tennessee. The Rampage is powered by the Rotax 100 HP 912 ULS aircraft engine. This gives it a climb rate at gross of over 1,000 feet per minute, a cruise of 125 mph and stall of 35 mph. At cruise coming down from Canada the Rampage has a fuel burn of just over 4 gallons per hour.
21 gallons of fuel is located in two wing tanks and a header tank located behind the seats. The wing tanks feature sight gauges on the root of the wings, and a safety light on the dash comes on when you are low and fuel and flying on only the header tank. The 46 inch wide cockpit will fit even the largest of pilots. The seats are adjustable via cushions and the pedals can be adjusted forward and back. The Rampage features a three point harness for pilot restraint. The storage area behind the seat is 32 inches deep and 46 inches wide and 20 inches high. Steering is via a steerable nosewheel. The Rampage also comes equipped with individual hydraulic toe brakes. Flight controls feature dual stick and rudder controls, with electric trim on the sticks. The throttle system can be customized, the standard system features a center mounted friction lock system, but a dual throttle system is also available. The flaps and leading edge slats are controlled electronically and are activated via a switch on the dash. The instrument panel on Rampage stretches the full width of the cabin. The craft of display had two glass panels one on either side of the cockpit with radio and intercom system located between them. Skykits offers an amphibious fiberglass float system for the Rampage, that is operated via a small electrical air compressor. The Rampage at the U.S. Sport Aviation Expo was the second unit of the assembly line. Currently the Rampage is only available as a ready to fly aircraft under the lightsport aircraft category, but will be available in kit form by the end of 2008. | 
